Frozen
by dosei no otohime
Summary: When Adrina lost her parents, her planet and her throne, she expected the world to end. But when she catches a ride on Remus, an intergalactic ship, things take a turn after mischief in an unauthorized area of the ship.
1. Prologue

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Disclaimer – I don't own Gundam Wing. Though, Maceria, Adrina, and all the other characters are my own.

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Frozen – Prologue

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He suddenly woke. But he was too late. The chamber had already started. He felt it creeping up his legs. It was so cold. He even felt it through the suit. It was like the ice was alive, in a way it was. The frosted air reached his lungs and it became hard to breathe. It hurt…

He tried to scream. He tried so hard to scream, but his efforts were fruitless. His throat produced no sound. With fear in his eyes, he realized that his vocal chords were paralyzed. He looked around anxiously for a way out. But no avail! The walls of his cell were smooth steel and no screw or bolt scarred its surface.

He wanted out. He wanted out! He beat against the glass with his fists until they throbbed and started to bruise. Defeated, the teardrops began to fill his eyes. But only one tear managed to begin its journey down his face before it froze on his cheek. He closed his eyes with a shudder and then was stilled.

The scientists looked in upon him. "We shouldn't have done…" the young woman shook her head. She looked at her fellow scientist with a sad look on her face. "It's for the good of mankind. Preserving the best for the good of mankind…" the older man said then trailed off in the regret of his statement. "Maybe we should take him out, return him to his family... or at least get the others…" she said. "It has already started. If we open it now, we would kill him or turn him into a vegetable. And room is few…" the man turned a few knobs. After a long silence, the man said, "We should go Claire, we've done our job." Claire gave a sad glance at the young man in the freezing chamber. The older man touched her shoulder. She looked up into his face. He just shook his head with the offer of comfort. With her eyes to the floor, Claire started towards the door behind her comrade. When she reached the doorway, she turned to flip the lightswitch. The freezing chamber caught her eye. She stared at it a few moments before moving her hand down. The room went dark. The freezing chamber glowed blue in the unlit room. Claire left the doorway. 


	2. Chapter 1

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Frozen

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Chapter 1

With the crumbling remains of the Macerian kingdom behind her, Adrina took her first steps onto the space shuttle. The metal was painfully cold against her bare feet but Adrina didn't mind anymore. The true pain was in her heart. Adrina's parents were now dead and she was the heir to their empty throne. Tears filled her grey eyes and created small rivers on her cheeks as she touched just beneath her hair. She felt the new bone hardening beneath her scalp. In a few more weeks it would start to break the skin open and reveal her as the new queen of Maceria. 

Adrina moved like an automaton down the steel halls. She was in the sanctuary part of the ship, where all the thieves, spies, traitors and pirates hovered. She didn't seem to care anymore. She brushed against aliens of other races but she didn't feel it. She felt too numb to perceive it all. _I'm the only one left, the only one. I'm all alone here_, Adrina thought as the silent tears fell down her face and onto the floor, creating a trail of darkened marks that were soon swept away by traveling feet. 

She wanted to die with her family and friends but the ship had whisked her off to safety, leaving her sister and friends behind to be destroyed. But she couldn't blame it, or the dying guards who had piloted it until they could no more. It had been their duty to protect the royal family. Adrina's dirty and dusty hooded robe drug along the ground. The scarlet color had been replaced by a reddish brown from dust and the golden trim had been torn away in her fleeing the monster soldiers who tried to steal her from this dimension. She didn't even have the dignity to pull them up from the floor. 

"Move it, you disgusting little Slargon whore!" said a gruff voice in front of her. Adrina raised her eyes slowly to find a tall Yergun standing before her. His huge black eyes glared down at her. In the silence he wiped his wide, green, and drooling lips on his blemished stub of an arm. "_Well_?!" he roared. Frightened, Adrina moved to her right and the Yergun passed her. She moved two steps before Adrina suddenly burst into a loud sob and she pressed her back against the wall. She slid down the wall and rested on the floor. It was cold at the bottom of the awful hallway. She was alone here

The sound of boots stood distinct in the hall. A darkened figure came and stood above Adrina. It remained there for a moment before sat down very close to her, not very close but close enough to make the young princess uncomfortable. "The Yerguns can be very cruel, even to the Mountain Faeries on the East moon of Edric. And they are the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy," he said and looked upon Adrina. Adrina met his gaze. It seemed soft and gentle. The man was young in the face, a scar on his chin and the look in his eyes showed that he was older in mind than in body. 

"I'll be honest with you, I used to be a thief. One day, I happened to rob the wrong person. There's money on my head now," he admitted, "so, young one, what are you doing here?" Adrina sighed. It was awful to remember, but she felt a sort of brotherly feeling being emitted from his violet eyes. She felt she could trust him, even if he used to be a thief. "My planet was attacked. My mother and father are dead. I am unsure of the whereabouts of my young sister. She could be dead, or even worse, a slave. I may even be the last of my species," Adrina's voice cracked and she leaned her head back against the wall. She felt the bone crown in contact with her inside skin and she winced. "What's the matter?" the man asked, curious. "Nothing, it's j-just I hurt my head in my escape," Adrina said. It wasn't exactly a lie. With her parents' deaths, she knew the crown would emerge and it was an injury that would last throughout her life. "Let me see…" said the man and he pulled back Adrina's hood. Adrina knew her black hair covered the pattern of tiny blue diamonds that marked her race. She just hoped he didn't feel the crown. He drew his hand across Adrina's head once. Then he did it once more. His expression changed. Adrina trembled and shivered. His hands were so cold, like the Macerian ice caps. He attempted to move her hair aside. Adrina flinched in fright and pulled away quickly, but he had already seen. 

"You are of royal blood," he said as he removed his hand, "beware the people around here. They will hurt you and try to profit from your heritage. Come to think about it, you may be safer at my place instead of here. Do you wish to come?" his tone was kind. He stood up and dusted himself off. He began to walk away when he turned back to Adrina. "Are you coming or what?" he said and waited for her to stand. She did and followed him. He turned many crowded corners and Adrina began to fall behind. She wanted to shout to him, but she didn't know his name. She just trailed him and his lengthy braid as fast as she could. 

There was a tug on her ankle. Adrina shrieked. "Ohhh, you are a young one. Yes, yes a young one you are," said an old voice. It was a Jugar woman's and it sounded like the crunching of gravel beneath sandals. "Pretty skin on young ones there is. Pretty enough for selling on this one?" she began to pull up the dress to inspect the skin on Adrina's leg with a leathered hairy hand. Adrina screamed and struggled against the bony hand that held her in place. Suddenly a look of fear came to the black eyes of the old Jugar woman. She dropped Adrina and then she quickly scampered back into the shadows from which she had come. Adrina stared at the darkness as she tried to regain her breath. She felt eyes on her. She turned around quickly. There was her new friend. "I'm sorry you had to meet her," he said quietly and tugged on her arm to pull her from the ground. He began to resume his route when Adrina heard the old woman cackling from her safety in the shadows. "Keep her Marco! You will torture the poor soul more than I!" she yelled then cackled once more.

Adrina was lead to a shelter of stolen pipes and an assortment of cloth draped over them. She went inside and looked around. The man's home contained nothing but a lantern. Adrina had expected more, but she was satisfied with it. The man smiled at her. "As you heard Furtinia say, my name is Marco. But don't listen to the rest of her nonsense," Marco lit the lantern and gained a look at Adrina's expression. He laughed. "You do not like my home? Oh, I feel hurt," he said then laughed once more. "I-I uh, um, I…" Adrina struggled for words. Marco laughed again. Still chuckling a bit, he turned from his guest and moved a cloth aside and Adrina heard a few muffled beeps. Suddenly, the back wall of the shelter shifted and revealed a lighted hallway. It was much cleaner than the other one and each of the passing peoples wore uniforms. Adrina peered around the doorway. "Let's go meet Captain Montgomery. We must tell him who you are and why you are here," Marco said and stepped out of the hallways of darkness and treachery. "You're an officer on this ship?" Adrina asked as she stepped out behind him. Marco grimaced at the mentioning of "officer" in Adrina's words. "Not really… just follow me," he said. 

Adrina accompanied him out into the hallway. The small doorway she had just passed through seemed like a gateway to another dimension. This hallway was lighted softly and occasionally gentle beeps came. She heard talking from official sounding throats. Scared, she hid behind Marco and clung to his tough clothing. The officers in dark uniforms passed quickly, no look of noticing Marco in their eyes. "Don't worry," Marco said in a barely audible whisper, "you are with friends now." Adrina relaxed, only a little, and let out a small sigh. "I'd like to tell you my name, sir," Adrina said. Marco stiffened. "Please don't call me sir. And tell me your name for it must be beautiful…" Marco said. Adrina blushed with the compliment. "My name is Adrina," she said with a smile. "Ah, just as I had suspected," Marco said, making the girl's face turn crimson. Then she stalled in the middle of the hall. Her grip on Marco's cape made him reel back to her. "What is wrong?" he asked gently. "Dreckans!" Adrina whispered harshly and turned her gaze up to the end of the hall. Three Dreckan warriors were walking stiffly down the hall. Their march was heavy and their chained armor shook with each step. "They are the ones who killed my mother and father! They have seen my face! Hide me!" Adrina began to shake with her fear. "Don't worry Adrina, just cover yourself with my coat. You will be well hidden beneath it," Marco whispered and shoved Adrina gently. Adrina quickly took shelter beneath the cape. "Hello friends," she heard Marco say, "Are you enjoying your stay?" The Dreckans just grunted and continued to parade down the halls. 

There was a moment of silence before Adrina made herself visible again. Marco hurried his step down the hall. "They were coming from Captain's quarters. They must know you're here. At least the Captain doesn't know of you yet. You see, he's not good at lying but he's a very good bluffer… how old are you Adrina?" Marco said. "I am seven years old… why?" Adrina said. "Seven… converted to Earth years that's almost sixteen," Marco shook his head as he calculated the math, "Too young," he muttered, "too young." Adrina became confused. "Too young for what?" she asked innocently, but almost angrily. "Too young to be here, too young to lose your parents, too young to be stalked by a warrior race… too young to be queen!" Marco said swiftly and with a touch of rage in his voice. Adrina fell silent. She wondered why he was so angry. It had not been him who was affected by the invasion…

Marco stopped suddenly before a door and pressed a button. A man's voice rang out. "Who is it?" it said. "This is Marco, Captain. I wish to speak to you," Marco said. There was a moment before the voice answered, "Come in," and the door opened. Adrina swallowed hard and stepped in behind Marco.

The captain was bent over his desk and was writing on a sheet of paper. His mousy brown hair was cut in a military style. He looked up and Adrina could see that his eyes were blue. "Be swift, Marco. I need to issue out a report on a young girl bandit from Maceria. Apparently, she has stolen very valuable property from the Dreckan Empire and needs to be caught at once," he said. Anger swelled in Adrina's chest. She jumped out from behind Marco, no longer fearing the captain of the _Remus_ or anyone else on the ship. "But I am not a young bandit!" she barked. The captain looked startled when he saw her burst from behind a friend and with such a loud protest of words. "I would never shame my ancestors and bend so low to the ground that worms would not feast on my flesh as I die! How _dare_ you!" Adrina shouted. She could feel the diamonds that traced her forehead heat up and change to purple then deep red as her emotions changed dramatically. "Then who are you?" the captain demanded as he stood up from his desk. Adrina pulled back her hood and a smirk crossed her face. Her diamonds grew to turquoise color as she spoke. "I am Princess Adrina of the Jurea family. And it is not _I_ who has stolen, but the Dreckans. I am now alone, my entire family taken from my heart. And I could hear them all scream as the planet was plundered and my entire race destroyed. Before you stands… the last of the Macerians," Adrina choked out her last words. The whole room was silenced. Captain Montgomery just stared at the girl in disbelief. Adrina lowered her head so not to break her spirited image with her tears. "My mother was killed before my very eyes, her unborn child sliced from her womb," she said, "My father died trying to save a young daughter that was already dead in the arms of a Dreckan warrior. My other sister… I am not sure of her death. Dreckan blood runs as cold as ice. I know they will chase me until I am dead, or believe I am dead. And when they find me, they will slice open my torso and eat my heart like a delicacy," Adrina shuddered as she said this. 

Marco was staring down at the girl as she told her tale. He watched the diamonds' color differ with each word. As she described the death of her mother, her diamonds turned black. The shade reminded Marco of the deepest sadness that could ever be felt. His heart was covered instantly in pity for the young girl. He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him. Adrina raised her hand to her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Marco kept his gaze on Adrina, making a vow to protect her from the death the Dreckans had set for her. 

"Well, first of all," the captain began, "you need to be secretly escorted to private chambers. This will not alert the Dreckans to where you are. Second, we will give a selected crew member a fake receipt to show to the Dreckans that tells them you left twenty minutes after you came here, destined to an unknown station in a desolate part of space. Hopefully, they will leave. The ship will take the Dreckans straight to a police station where they will be arrested. That is the plan. Marco, take her to Floor 25, Section B. She will be in the room nearest the hospital. That room is one of six rooms that are most always kept vacant and the Dreckans have no authorization on that level unless they are ill." The captain gave Marco a nod to dismiss him. Marco tugged slightly on Adrina's shoulders and she followed him, clear eyed and no longer crying.


End file.
